Sacking of DPM runs contrary to Federal Constitution

The Cabinet of Ministers are elected pursuant to Article 43 of the Constitution by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Ministers. Article 43(6) of the Constitution provides that all Ministers shall take and subscribe in the presence of the YDPA, an oath of office and allegiance and the oath of secrecy as set out in the sixth schedule of the Constitution. This is the oath all Ministers take before exercising the functions of their office:

“I, ……………….., having been elected (or appointed) to the office of ……………….. do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge the duties of that office to the best of my ability, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Malaysia, and will preserve, protect and defend its Constitution.”

In essence, Ministers owes their allegiance, above all, to their country and to the Constitution. So, what did the former Deputy Prime Minister (“DPM”) do? He spoke up for the people of this country. He essentially reiterated what all of us have been saying for the past few months. Most importantly, he (actually) stood up for the fundamental right of freedom of speech and equality, which occupies a sacrosanct position in our Constitution. He carried out his constitutional duty as a Minister and as a Parliamentarian in representing the voice of his constituents. Yes, he disagreed with the leader of the Cabinet, but he did so because of his overriding allegiance and duty to the country and the Constitution. For that, he was removed from his position.

Where were all the other Ministers when the 1MDB fiasco blew out of proportion? Where were all the other Ministers when freedom of speech was massacred with the suborning of all forms of media to the tyranny of the government? Where were all the Ministers when their fellow compatriots were sacked for upholding their oath of allegiance? Shame on all of you. You have let this country down. You sat by and watched while the Constitution was being trampled on. You sat by and watched while our beloved country was, and still is, plundered of its citizen’s money. My dear sirs, you have spat on the oath of allegiance which you sworn to carry out, and sadly, you are still doing so as I write.

The Constitution has been attacked and trampled on many occasions. One occasion which no one will ever forget was the 1988 judicial crisis. Today marks a similar occasion. A day where freedom of speech has been rendered illusory, a day where people who stood up for the Constitution and their beloved country were struck down with the hammer of injustice, a day where our Constitution bled profusely, and most sadly, a day where democracy was laid waste on.

The suborning of the members of the opposition and the judiciary are now insufficient to keep the hammer of tyranny firm in place. Today, even dissenters within the government, with high ranking post, are being thrown out in broad daylight for carrying out their constitutional functions. This, ladies and gentleman, is the classic form of dictatorship and tyranny. It is only the means of dictatorship that has changed over the course of time, but not the concept in itself.